Simulated baseball amusement game apparatus



June 8, 1954 5 Filed Feb. 3, 1951 #:gE. WILLIAMS ISIMULATVED BASEBALL AMUSEMENT GAME APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Ms Aflilik zwzw June 8, 1954 -H. E. WILLIAMS 2,680,613

7 SIMULATED BASEBALL AMUSEMENT GAB/IE APPARATUS- Filed Feb. 3, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 8, 1954 SIMULATED BASEBALL AMUSEMENT GAME APPARATUS Harry E. Williams, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Williams Patent Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application February 3, 1951, Serial No. 209,247

3 Claims.

This invention relates to simulated baseball amusement game apparatus and has for its pr1ncipal object the provision of a simplified and improved arrangement for projecting and retracting simulated baseball players into and from base running position, the base running players being concealed from view until projected into running position.

Another and equally important object of the invention resides in the novel simulated baseball paths along which the runner is adapted to be moved.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; a

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective View illustrating the mechanism for retracting the simulated baseball player from base running position; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the mechanism for projecting such player into running position.

The several objects of my invention may be accomplished by the preferred form of construction shown and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In this connection I provide a plate it surrounded on three sides by a curved wall H having its face l2 dressed to simulate a baseball stand.

The top surface of the plate I t provides a diamond 33 having the usual bases M. On this diamond are positioned characters I 5 simulating baseball players.

There is also positioned at the home plate I4 a character simulating the umpire it.

These characters may be formed of any suitable material and attached to the plate in their respective positions by any approved means.

The base paths are provided by a substantially circular groove 5'! formed in the plate in and having ends I8 and i9 terminating short of each other to provide therebetween an uncut portion which constitutes part of the batters box.

The end i8 of the groove ll communicates with a tangentially arranged slot 28 which constitutes an exit slot for the base runners. The end l9 communicates with a straight slot 2! which constitutes an entrance slot.

Centrally of the diamond 3 at a point known as the pitchers mound 22, is a rotatable shaft 23 on which is fixedly mounted a gear or other driving element 24 adapted to be connected in any suitable manner by a train of gears (not shown) of a driving motor or the like.

Fixed to and rotatable with the gear or other driving element are radially extending arms 25 extending substantially at right angles and each of a similar form and construction.

The outer end portion of each of the arms 25 is bent to provide a lug 2%) extending upwardly from the arm 25 substantially at right angles with respect thereto. Pivotally connected to this lug 26 as at 2? is a base plate 28. This base plate 23 has an extended portion 29 which is secured as at 3% to a foot 3! of a manikin 32 formed and dressed to simulate a baseball player with its arms and legs posed in running position.

The extension 29 carries a laterally extending pin 33. This pin 33 is adapted to engage the cam edge 34 of a plate 35 secured as at 36 to the plate It] and extending downwardly therefrom into the path of movement of the pin 33.

The base plate 28 also provides a lateral finger 3? which is adapted to be engaged by a trip finger 38. This trip finger 38 projects upwardly into an opening 39 formed in the plate l0 disposed below and in spaced relation with respect to the plate it. This trip finger is carried by the armature it of an electromagnetic coil 4! supported as at 42 by the plate ill from the under surface thereof.

An overthrow spring 43 has one end connected as at 44 to the lug 25 and an opposite end portion connected as at 45 to the finger 3?.

The plate 28 has an extension 46 which serves as a stop to limit the pivotal movement of the manikin 32 in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3, by engaging the pin 44 as shown in full lines in Fig. 4. The pin it also limits the position of the manikin in vertical running position by engagement with the extension 29.

The plates iii and It are connected together by end wall I I.

My improved simulated baseball game is especially designed to be incorporated in coin-controlled amusement game apparatuses in which playing pieces are projected upon a playing field to close switches which control the circuit to the driving mechanism for the gear 24.

In the initial start ofv the playing of the game the manikins 32 are disposed in a substantially horizontal plane beneath the plate II The manikin approaching the trip finger 33 will, when advanced toward such trip finger and just prior to engagement of the finger 3;! with the trip finger it, be disposed beneath the entrance slot Ill. The arrangement is such that when the trip finger 38 by the energization of the electromagnetic coil 48, is disposed in the path of the finger 37, the manikin will, upon engagement of the finger 3? with such trip finger 33, be pivoted in a clockwise direction t rough the entrance slot ii! to an upright running position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. This trip finger 38 is disposed in the path of the finger, 31' whenever the player is successful in closing a hit switch (not shown). As long, as the trip finger 38 remains in the path of movement of the finger 31 each of the manikins as they move past the rip finger will be pivoted through the entrance slot i9 to the aforesaid upright position.

Should the rotation of the gear 24 continue so that a manikin is moved to home plate, in such case the plate 33 will engage the cam edge 34 and pivot the manikin in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3, in which case the manikin passes through the exit slot 28 to a concealed horizontal position beneath the plate it and above the plate it.

By this arrangement the manikins simulating baseball players are projected into and retracted from base running position.

My invention will afford a maximum of amusement and is of a construction which permits economical construction.

Ehe mechanism for rotating the shaft 23 may be of any desirable and approved construction as may be the mechanism for effecting energization of the electromagnetic coil ii.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not Wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A simulated baseball game apparatus comprising a relatively flat plate having a substantially circular groove formed therein simulating a baseball path and having its opposite ends terminating short of each other, said plate having an elongated entranceslot communicating with one end of the groove and an elongated exit slot substantially tangential with respect to said circular groove and communicating with the other end or the groove, a plurality of manikins simulating baseball players, means rotatably supporting the manikins from beneath said plate, said last named means including a plurality of radially extending arms substantially at right angles with respect to each other and having their end portions terminating adjacent said circular groove, means pivotally connecting each of said manikins to said arms including a lateral finger, means for pivoting successively said manikins relative to said supporting means from a vertical position above said plate to a horizontal position beneath said plate through said exit slot, said last-named means including a substantially triangular shaped camming member positioned beneath said plate at one end of said groove adjacent said exit slot and engageable with a lateral pin on each of said manikins to pivot the same to a horizontal position, means for pivoting successively said ,manikins from said horizontal position back to said vertical position through said entrance slot, said last-named means including an electro-magnetic means having a trip finger adapted to be disposed in the path of movement of said lateral finger.

2. A simulated baseball game apparatus comprising a relatively fiat plate having a substantially circular groove formed therein simulating a baseball path and having its oposite ends terminating short of each other, said plate having an elongated entrance slot communicating with one end of the groove and an elongated exit slot substantially tangential with respect to said circular groove and communicating with the other end of the groove, a plurality of manihins simulating baseball players, means rotatably supporting the manikins from beneath said plate, said lastnamed means including a plurality of radially extending arms substantially. at right angles with respect to each other and having their end portions terminating adjacent said circular groove, means pivotally connecting said maniliins to said arms, means including a lateral pin carried by each of said manikins and a cam member carried beneath said plate at one end of said groove adjacent said exit slot and in the path of movement of said pin for pivoting successively said manikins relative to said supporting means from a vertical position above said plate to a horizontal position beneath said plate through said exit slot, means for pivoting successively said maniliins from said horizontal position back to said vertical position through said entrance slot, said last-named means including a lateral finger on each of said manikins, and an electromagnetic means having a trip finger adapted to be disposed in the of movement of said lateral finger.

3. A simulated baseball amusement game apparatus comprising a relatively fiat elongated member providing a substantially circular groove simulating a baseball path and having its end portions terminating short of each other, one of said end portions communicating with an elongated entrance slot through which a manikin s'mulating a baseball player is adapted to be pivoted from a horizontal position below said member to a vertical position vthereabove, the other end of said groove communicating with an exit slot, means for pivoting said manikins from said horizontal position to said vertical position, said last named means including a lateral finger on each of said manikins and an electromagnetic coil having a trip finger adapted to be disposed in the path of movement of said lateral finger, means for supporting said manikin for said pivotal movement and for movement along References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,044,679 Mattoni Nov. 19, 1912 1,053,788 Crew Feb. 18, 1913 1,643,522 Ropp Sept. 27, 1927 1,966,748 Allen July 17, 1934 2,459,011 Williams Jan. 11, 1949 

